Welcome

Kyudokan Goju Ryu Karate Do

Kyudokan Goju Ryu Karate Do is an established karate school of many years standing and continues to study Goju Ryu karate under the direction of David Morris.

Since its beginning, in 1979, the Kyudokan has represented the traditional values of karate and is one of the very few in the UK still teaching authentic Japanese karate. David continues to study and at 63 his visits to Japan have afforded him a wealth of knowledge, which is evident in the Kyudokan’s teaching ethos: a great depth of tradition, sometimes lacking in the more modern ‘Westernised’ schools.

The Kyudokan is a full time dojo in the Northam area of Southampton and being central, is easily accessible from all over the city. Fully equipped and with expert tuition, you will find instructors and students alike ready to welcome you. Whether you are an experienced karateka or just beginning your journey; the Kyudokan will help you on your own martial arts path.

Karate, I believe has been my closest ally in my fight every day against my illness. I fight it every day.. Now, everyday is a battle.

As a teacher, I get my students to perform in front of the class, scrutinising and correcting their technique. Some feel uneasy with this but it brings out many benefits. To do something when you don’t want to is called courage.

If I ask my student to do this, shouldn’t I ask myself?For me, it is not courage, for me it is to never ever give in.

In comparison to others, my kata Tensho is poor but every move that I make, that I chose, defeats my Parkinson’s

Over time, my Parkinson's disease will slow my movement, making simple tasks difficult and time-consuming. It won’t kill me but its effect will shorten my life

Symptoms can be different for everyone. Some of minecauses stiffness or slowing of movement.and sometimes I may drag my feet as I try to walk. My steps will become shorter and my arms don’t swing.

Sometimes my face may show little or no expression and my speech is sometimes hesitant. Parkinson's disease symptoms worsen as my condition progresses over time.

I find it so difficult and painful just standing up to get out of a chair and sometimes may drag my feet as I try to walk. Muscle stiffness occur in any part of my body and can be so painful and limit my range of motion.

My posture is poor and stooped and I have balance problems as a result I find it difficult to walk and as you can see my decreased ability to perform unconscious movements, including blinking, smiling and walking.

My enemy is with me every hour, every day. I feel sorry for it, because even sometimes when it thinks its defeated me, it hasn’t, Im just taking a rest. ... See MoreSee Less

You inspired me for over 30 years when I was training and then passing the knowledge I learned to my students now that I no longer train you still inspire me your attitude to your condition is outstanding but my friend I did not expect anything less Keep up the fight 🤗

Bloody hell Dave&comma; youre a legend&period; Taking a break&comma; but not defeated - a fantastic message

You are such an insperation dave you played such a big part in creating the person i am today an have been for so many people keep up the fight mate

I was having a bad day&comma;&comma;Dan&comma; if I can keep going&comma;&comma; karate helps

Big respect to this man&period;

Well done David &comma; remember you are only beaten when you say you are &comma; keep up the fight &comma; regards Dave&period;

Omg I love you Dave &excl;&excl; What an inspiring video and post &period;&period; thank you so very much for sharing your battles&period; It makes us all feel stronger 😍 and definitely helps me to understand what you are dealing with&period; Xx

Nice Tensho&period; Ichikawa Goju Ryu style is different from others&period;

The kamae in karate is very important and should never be dismissed as just a static or guard position but are momentary postures. They aren’t meant to be kept like a stone statue, forever immovable. They should flow from one to another as the situation dictates and move accordingly.

In form and fighting, the kamae should studied most earnestly and should be an expression of one’s attitude.

Your attitude, like the samurai is to move forward, to attack. Of course, if you have to pull back, you must never feel like your retreating, because if you lose control, you lose composure, and you will be defeated. So even if you have to withdraw, you must have the attitude that you are momentarily pulling back but are still engaged, ready to move forward again

The kamae in karate is very important and should never be dismissed as just a static or guard position but are momentary postures. They aren’t meant to be kept like a stone statue, forever immovable. They should flow from one to another as the situation dictates and move accordingly.

In form and fighting, the kamae should studied most earnestly and should be an expression of one’s attitude.

Your attitude, like the samurai is to move forward, to attack. Of course, if you have to pull back, you must never feel like your retreating, because if you lose control, you lose composure, and you will be defeated. So even if you have to withdraw, you must have the attitude that you are momentarily pulling back but are still engaged, ready to move forward again

Oliver is 10 yrs old, and has been with Kyudokan for just about 2 years, His favourite Kata is Gekifai as it combines ‘awesome’ movement of both upper and lower body (his words).He enjoys the broad mix of martial arts in conjunction with the pure Goju Ryu that Kyudokan has to offer ... See MoreSee Less

This year is the first year for this special award. It is an award in recognition for dedication, progress and much more.

Leo Strong is 15 years old and began training the Easter after his 7th birthday, so a few months shy of 9 years!

He had some difficult times at infant school and karate helped him rebuild his self esteem and gain confidence. Going from strength to strength he works hard at everything he does (with the possible exception of French 😉).

Currently in his final year of Hamble school Leo is studying for his GCSE's and hoping to continue studying A level maths and Engineering at college.

He is proud to assist teaching karate at the Thursday Chamberlayne class and still gets immense satisfaction from training hard with Morris Sensei and Fyfe Sensei both of whom he has the greatest respect for.

As well as continuing to work on technique and fitness Leo is keen to expand his weapons knowledge to add to his nunchuka skills!

We have so many good students and to award this trophy for the first time was a difficult decision to make. But I believe it was a very popular one and congratulate Leo on winning the first Kyudokan cup ... See MoreSee Less

An absolute pleasure to be around&comma; learn from and always the example i give to my son Ollie who study’s at Kyudokan - if he keeps up the training he’ll be just like Leo one day&period; &lpar;PS Remember this sentiment next time we face up with the pads on big man 😃😃😃&rpar;

For green and above we want to continue the session after 12.30 with an informal lunch, together with a question an answer time.If you would like this opportunity, please bring along some food , sandwiches etc.

To make these session more rewarding, each session will be reduced to a maximum of 10, so let me know as soon as possible. Don’t be disappointed ! ... See MoreSee Less

Please note, this Sunday and the following Sunday, the 23rd and 30th December karate classes will be held at our main Kyudokan dojo headquarters in Southampton Classes at Holly Hill will resume back to normal in the year, week commencing 6th January.

Bitterne Karate Club

Pleased be advised that there is no class this Friday at Bitterne Leisure Centre. However, you can still continue your training this week at the Kyudokan headquarters today from 5.00-6.30 and tomorrow at Chamberlayne Leisure Centre 6.00-7.00. ... See MoreSee Less

Western communication style relies heavily on words. In conversation, we believe in expressing ourselves verbally as vitally important

In contrast, Japanese communication relies less on words and more on body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and posture. Japanese speak of haragei, the art of silently communicating "belly to belly," through intuition rather than with words.

The reason why the Japanese are able to get their message across is because they rely more on non-verbals for their communication For example, think of a conversation with a student. One raised eyebrow can clearly say "You forgot to bow when you entered the dojo," and a certain tone of voice can communicate volumes. This is classic high context communication that needs only a minimum of words in order to get the message across. Japanese tend to have this style of communication, it is described as ichi ieba ju wakaru

Understanding ichi ieba ju wakaru ( body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and posture ) the Japanese often describe their communication style as “ hear that when the speaker says 10%, the listener will be able to figure out the other 90% “ on the basis that you understand the non-verbals.For the westerner, this communication style can be difficult if not impossible to understand.

After many years of study with Yonemoto Sensei, it is more recently that I have understood his way of thinking. My good friend Daniel Tennant Sensei and I have spent many hours talking and discussing Yonemoto Sensei’s ways. He expects you to work hard to find the answers to your questions. This means asking effective follow-up questions after he has given you the first 10%.

If no such follow-up questions are asked, Sensei will tend to assume that you have grasped the other 90%.

For you, you must tune into the non-verbals, body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and posture This will enable you to pick up more messages, and enhance your ability to read between the lines.

One last thing, be sure to leave enough silence between each conversation. This will give time to truly understand what has been said. I have said before“ you hear but you don’t listen, you look but you don’t see”

Julia Broad&comma; you may find this interesting&period; It's a very sophisticated version of what I say about joining up the dots and inference rather than stating every little thing&period; David puts it perfectly😊

Western communication style relies heavily on words. In conversation, we believe in expressing ourselves verbally as vitally important

In contrast, Japanese communication relies less on words and more on body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and posture. Japanese speak of haragei, the art of silently communicating "belly to belly," through intuition rather than with words.

The reason why the Japanese are able to get their message across is because they rely more on non-verbals for their communication For example, think of a conversation with a student. One raised eyebrow can clearly say "You forgot to bow when you entered the dojo," and a certain tone of voice can communicate volumes. This is classic high context communication that needs only a minimum of words in order to get the message across. Japanese tend to have this style of communication, it is described as ichi ieba ju wakaru

Understanding ichi ieba ju wakaru ( body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and posture ) the Japanese often describe their communication style as “ hear that when the speaker says 10%, the listener will be able to figure out the other 90% “ on the basis that you understand the non-verbals.For the westerner, this communication style can be difficult if not impossible to understand.

After many years of study with Yonemoto Sensei, it is more recently that I have understood his way of thinking. My good friend Daniel Tennant Sensei and I have spent many hours talking and discussing Yonemoto Sensei’s ways. He expects you to work hard to find the answers to your questions. This means asking effective follow-up questions after he has given you the first 10%.

If no such follow-up questions are asked, Sensei will tend to assume that you have grasped the other 90%.

For you, you must tune into the non-verbals, body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions and posture This will enable you to pick up more messages, and enhance your ability to read between the lines.

One last thing, be sure to leave enough silence between each conversation. This will give time to truly understand what has been said. I have said before“ you hear but you don’t listen, you look but you don’t see”

Over the next few months we will be posting bio's of not only our instructors, but also some of the many students who train together and enjoy the many benefits the association has to offer.

This week.........Dan Fyfe

Kyudokan senior instructor, Dan Fyfe is 37 years old and started karate at the age of 12 years old. He is married and has two children, ages two and nine.

Dan’s first instructor was one of my first teachers , Kevin Fox Sensei .When Kevin emigrated to New Zealand, his senior instructors and Dan we given the responsibility of overseeing the club.

After a few years Dan joined the Kyudokan. Dan, also known as Baldy is the founder of the Garden Club a very well respected jujitsu and grappling Club in the Locks Heath area of Southampton.

It is fair to say that Dan is very popular among the students and is a very well-respected member of the team. His personality and passion shines through and is very infectious. Kyudokan is growing from strength to strength and with personalities like Dan sensei the future looks particularly good.

Next up will Liz Barnes, the highest graded woman in the Kyudokan, watch this space......... ... See MoreSee Less

Girl Power at the Kyudokan Martial Arts Centre.Brilliant session last night.When I thought of a name for the class, I didn’t realise how fitting it was.Girls, your awesome!!Power in your kicks, Power in your punches !Great to see Jean and Chloe back training after injury ... See MoreSee Less

If you to get fit and have fun, come along to our Girl Power class. For ladies only, Girl Power is a great way to keep fit and with Christmas parties coming up, you’ll burn all the calories you need to be able to fit in that dress and have that extra glass of proescco! ... See MoreSee Less

Be scared&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;be VERY scared&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;&excl;&excl;&excl;&excl;&excl;&excl;&excl;&NewLine;Tomorrow 6&period;30 onwards&NewLine;&NewLine;Kyudokan Martial Arts Centre &NewLine;Fairways House &NewLine;Mount Pleasant Road &NewLine;Northam &NewLine;Southampton&NewLine;SO14 0QB&NewLine;&NewLine;We couldn’t play Thriller by Michael Jackson&period;&period;&period;&period;copyright infringement&comma;&NewLine;&NewLine;And my sign language is not very good&comma; but what am I saying&quest;&NewLine;&NewLine;&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote; I used to think I was a Werewolf&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;&period;but I’m alright &NewLine;&NewLine;Nowwwwwwwwwwwwww&excl;&excl;&excl;&excl; &NewLine;&NewLine;&lpar; doesn’t have the same impact&comma; but did we have some fun recording it &excl;

In karate, tradition is a belief passed down with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. I believe by adhering to guidelines dictating how an how technique should be done ( in Kata ) are given greater importance than if it works.

Ive been told that my dojo favours boxing and Jujitsu more than karate and that I have moved away from my traditional karate roots.

I really don’t deserve such a compliment. Yonemoto Sensei said I must continue to observe other fighting arts. I’m very grateful for his advice because everything I have seen is contained in Goju.

During the past few years I have posted many articles and shared my thoughts and views to a wider audience. It is my way of emptying in my mind and I hope gives you better understanding of who I am and how my way of thinking represents my karate as a teacher.

A teacher, any teacher, has a massive responsibility on who they wish to share knowledge with. If we get it wrong, it could have a damaging effect for years to come.

I do not profess to know everything. In fact I know very little. But I am fortunate to have many teachers both in my karate and my life. I have students who teach me many things and I am grateful to them all.

I have been asked many times to write a book but because of my illness I have found it incredibly difficult to write or even type. Together with my crazy way of thinking I thought it was impossible to put down in words who I am or what I believe. But just recently, for whatever reason, my writing ability has returned. As for my way of thinking?

In the early stages of my illness I never wished or thought ‘why me’? But I was sometimes negative in my way of thinking which had a profound impact on my well-being. It made things worse. If I had written the book then the book would be depressing.

What I would like to give is a book that shows what I have achieved because of my Parkinson’s. I would not have met some amazing people if I didn't have the disease. I would not have appreciated the support and understanding of others. I have been very fortunate and during the past 10 years since I was diagnosed my life has been richer because of my illness.

When someone writes a book about themselves it is read in the future about their past but never in the present. So I am going to write blog of who I am now and not who I was. And hopefully it'll be read in the present.

I think too much. Thinking is like my mind talking. always chattering never silent. Thinking is like having two conversations , maybe three with yourself. I think of a particular subject, open it up in my mind and then discuss the pros and cons. Thinking too much will drive you insane. You argue with yourself. Do I do it this way or that way?

When you think about something too much. you close your mind. Your mind takes over, you close down from reality. You will get confused, moving away from reality. The more you think, the more entangled your mind gets. Thats why I believe we should not think too much, it is unlikely that you will solve anything.

Remain open minded, don’t have any answers, no philosophies or follow someone else path. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable and open is intelligent. Know that you don’t know, is intelligent.